Ch.87The Hundred-Day Battle (1)

# The Devil’s Advent

An unholy being that no one dared speak of for a thousand years had appeared in the world.

While the Crusaders primarily claimed to be hunting the Demon Lord and cleansing devils, nobody believed them. People thought it was merely about purging heretics who had displeased the Pope.

Indeed, the Southern Continent had fallen into the hands of the Dark Order, so people only lamented the return of yet another civil war.

“A Greater Devil has appeared?”

“Nonsense. Just more bloodthirsty fools spewing their drivel.”

At first, they thought it was just another madman’s appearance. Time had erased the memories of previous eras. But gradually, the course of the war became strange. In a short period, casualties began to snowball.

The vanguard of the Crusaders, said to be unmatched, melted away. The Cardinal who had been pushing for war disappeared, and the powerful Faith Defenders who followed him all retreated beyond the continent. Those who had never listened to the Pope now cowered in fear and planned their retreat.

The myth of invincibility maintained for hundreds of years was shattered. Humanity’s strongest army trembled in fear and sought God.

The terror that began in the South spread across the entire continent in an instant. As the unholy flames grew stronger, people flocked to the Papal States like refugees. It didn’t matter if there was no room. They prayed endlessly to the heavens.

“Please! Please save us!”

“Why is Heaven silent? A devil has appeared.”

“We’ve been abandoned! The God of Light no longer watches over us!”

The heretical currents that had been used as a pretext began to manifest as reality. Faith, once shaken, did not return to its place. The Dark Order, which had been hiding in the shadows, raised its head and began to proselytize to the fearful masses.

Of course, they did not seek God.

Revenge. They spread the superstition that they must overthrow the Papacy that had oppressed humanity and confront Heaven directly.

The tower of faith built over time suddenly turned to sand. The hell of disbelief had begun. The Papal leadership took a strong stance from the beginning, but events moved too quickly.

“Send the Holy Knights to execute them all immediately.”

“We’ve invested everything in the Crusaders—who can we send?”

“Mercenaries will do. Dress them in white armor and tell them to kill anyone who speaks nonsense!”

And so the silencing through death began.

With no way to stop the chaos, they killed and killed again. Even believers who came barefoot to plead with God could not escape the blade. Mercenaries disguised as Holy Knights cut down everyone in their path to boost their achievements.

Hell had manifested in the mortal world.

No, even the wasteland armed with fighting spirit didn’t engage in indiscriminate slaughter. The devil’s appearance had pushed the precariously balanced human realm completely into catastrophe.

Did the Greater Devil carry out a mass slaughter of humanity as recorded in the previous Hero’s Chronicles?

No. People were simply losing their reason, consumed by fear, and harming themselves.

Even in this situation, Heaven continued to observe.

-The Secretary will descend, and the chaos will come to an end.

Were they actually enjoying it?

The high clergy were so despairing at Heaven’s passivity.

#

The devil’s legion that arrived through the Southern Gate completely cleared the area around the ruins.

They beheaded all humans and displayed their heads. This was to restore the strength of devils who had lost some power crossing into this dimension. The souls harvested as byproducts were used to replenish their demonic energy.

The legion, which had been operating mainly with undead until now, was finally normalized. However, not all aspects of the situation were positive.

“Your Excellency, I want to go to war.”

“Please grant permission to march! I will bring back the Demon Lord’s head.”

“Hey! Not the Demon Lord, but the Former Demon Lord. Get the title right.”

“Trust someone with a judge as a friend to be so rigid. Whatever the title, we’re still going to kill that woman, aren’t we?”

“That’s true.”

“Grant us permission for war!”

The legion shouted in unison. They had been fired up since witnessing Durin sweeping through the Crusaders. Some were even discontented. They remained quiet only because of the Regent’s orders; if Verdia had acted first, they might have risen up immediately.

“Wait. The time is not right.”

Durin refused flatly. The Regent commanded the legion from a temporary headquarters.

“We need to understand their forces more clearly.”

“They’re just humans, after all!”

“Do you see them as mere insects? What we must face is the Demon Lord and whatever other power she may have obtained.”

In the uncertain situation, he refrained from mentioning the Goddess of Night.

Instead of remaining silent, he pointed out the complacency arising from uncertainty, trying to redirect the legion’s attention.

“Besides, the celestials are watching the continent. If we move rashly, we might lose this foothold we’ve established.”

“We can overcome anything!”

“You show confidence after fighting merely second-rate armies?”

Durin released his demonic energy. His low voice pressured the vocal soldiers.

“From now on, we must fight Heaven’s elite armies who follow the God of Light.”

“But…”

“Don’t be arrogant. Don’t mistake the Regent’s strength for your own.”

This was a major misjudgment by the devils. While they had certainly grown stronger than before, their overall quality still fell short compared to Heaven. There was a risk they might become complacent after facing humans. If they were to face the main Crusader force backed by angels while Durin was away searching for divine artifacts, they would likely be pushed back.

Durin faced reality. He never became intoxicated with absolute victory.

“We will conceal our movements until our main force of one hundred thousand arrives.”

“Your Excellency.”

“You must also be patient. I will tell you when the time is right.”

The Regent, as always, prepared for what was to come.

#

“How strange.”

The power dynamics had solidified. The main Crusader force pored over maps with aching heads.

They had expected to sweep through the Southern Continent with holy power, but everything had fallen apart due to the devil’s advent. They were now in a situation where they might have to surrender an entire continent.

The Dark Order and the devils would join hands to target the Crusaders, leading to the worst possible scenario.

“And yet it’s quiet.”

That assumption never materialized. While the devils were killing humans indiscriminately, they confined themselves to the area where they had descended. Except for forces that had rushed out ignorantly, the Crusaders hadn’t suffered major damage. In fact, they had all managed to safely evacuate from the Southern Continent.

As a result, it was now the Dark Order that was being decimated.

Several forces had shown movement, perhaps under the Holy Maiden’s orders, but all had perished. A massive devil army hadn’t emerged, but they were all efficiently eliminated. That was even more frightening. A being that could easily slaughter tens of thousands of humans if it wanted to was simply guarding its territory, which was frustrating.

If they had turned their blades toward the Papal States, the Crusaders would have mobilized all available forces for war, but the devils showed no interest.

It was a ridiculous situation.

The devils who descended to the human realm didn’t seek more lives than necessary, while Heaven, which should have protected the faith, showed only passive responses.

“How is the era unfolding?”

They wanted to summon an astrologer. Only by stealing glimpses of the future could they feel at ease.

Faced with death that could come at any time, they were so powerless that they prayed for harsh fate to arrive.

“Your Excellency!”

“What is it?”

“It seems the devil has finally made a move.”

“Where? Are they coming to the Papal States?”

“Well…”

The soldier’s voice trailed off. At that moment, he could guess.

It’s the same situation again.

“They’ve destroyed another Dark Order relic. This is the third time.”

“And their response?”

“The same as before. They sent an extermination force, but knowing they couldn’t face the Greater Devil, they retreated.”

Truly strange.

What do the devils want?

Why doesn’t Heaven answer our prayers?

The questions only grew.

#

“Another retreat?”

“I’m sorry, Holy Maiden.”

BANG!!

A harsh sound echoed through the Dark Order’s headquarters. The Holy Maiden was furious at the Cardinals before her.

“I told you to face the devil. To exterminate it. I said I didn’t care how much blood was spilled, just fight!”

“It’s not easy. The Greater Devil shows no interest in engaging, so we can do nothing.”

“God desires a holy war, and you speak such weak words?”

No one answered the Holy Maiden’s rebuke. They had things they wanted to say too. But defiance before the Holy Maiden, who possessed absolute power, meant death. Even these old men, soon to die of old age, still cherished their lives.

Such people in the Dark Order? The Holy Maiden sneered.

“If this continues, I cannot remain idle.”

Her eyes blazed with madness.

“Gather all available Holy Knights. I will march.”

“Holy Maiden!”

“How can you say such things!”

The formalities were exchanged. Of course, the conclusion was already determined.

The Holy Maiden easily brushed aside the old men’s protests.

“I will exterminate the devil that dares block our path and open the way to the Papal States.”

She had tried to fan the flames of war to recreate the devastating scenes from mythology, but had unfortunately failed.

To draw out the quiet Durin, she would have to take the field herself.

She would participate in battle not as the Holy Maiden, but as Lucretia, the Former Demon Lord.

“I will kill him.”

“…”

“I will not accept any objections.”

Still not playing along, are you?

Lucretia lamented inwardly.